Jan Gradvall

Fenomén skupiny ABBA nemá v dejinách hudby obdobu. Legendárnej švédskej popovej formácii dodnes pribúdajú poslucháči a jej hity si ľudia spievajú a tancujú na ne už viac ako polstoročie od ich vzniku. Uznávaný švédsky hudobný publicista Jan Gradvall získal v roku 2013 exkluzívny prístup k členom skupiny, s ktorými mal aj dovtedy blízky novinársky vzťah. Následne ich zhruba desať rokov spovedal, výsledkom čoho je táto kniha. Agnetha, Björn, Benny a Anni-Frid sa v nej delia o svoje osobné príbehy, myšlienky i názory na vlastnú hudbu, a to otvorenejšie než kedykoľvek predtým. Gradvall ozrejmuje, ako úspech skupiny formovali okrem melodickej brilantnosti aj ambície či emocionálna rozorvanosť jej členov. Zároveň dôkladne približuje kontext, v akom vznikol jedinečný zvuk Abby. Podáva tak aj príbeh o Švédsku i globalizácii popkultúry. Čitatelia sa dozvedia aj mnohé zaujímavosti, napríklad ako Abbu ovplyvnil fenomén švédskej tanečnej hudby dansband či ako sa miestna daňová legislatíva odzrkadlila na vzhľade jej kostýmov.

Through exclusive interviews and over a decade of deep research, renowned music journalist Jan Gradvall explores the secrets to ABBA's success. More than half a century after their songs were recorded, ABBA still make people the world over dance and sing their hearts out. After interviewing the four members for an article in 2013 - at which time the band had not been interviewed for over thirty years - Jan Gradvall was granted unique access to them for the next decade. In The Book of ABBA, the band share their thoughts and opinions more openly than ever before, while Jan reveals the context in which their sound developed - and shows how the story of ABBA is also the story of Sweden and the globalisation of pop culture. From their chart-topping ABBA Voyage - their first album in forty years - to the two-million-ticket-selling concert-experience of the same name, it is undeniable that, in the history of pop culture and music, there has never been a group like ABBA. With remarkable intimacy, Gradvall's book brings readers closer than ever to one of the world's most notoriously private music icons.

Through exclusive interviews and over a decade of deep research, renowned music journalist Jan Gradvall explores the secrets to ABBA's success. More than half a century after their songs were recorded, ABBA still make people the world over dance and sing their hearts out. After interviewing the four members for an article in 2013 - at which time the band had not been interviewed for over thirty years - Jan Gradvall was granted unique access to them for the next decade. In The Book of ABBA, the band share their thoughts and opinions more openly than ever before, while Jan reveals the context in which their sound developed - and shows how the story of ABBA is also the story of Sweden and the globalisation of pop culture. From their chart-topping ABBA Voyage - their first album in forty years - to the two-million-ticket-selling concert-experience of the same name, it is undeniable that, in the history of pop culture and music, there has never been a group like ABBA. With remarkable intimacy, Gradvall's book brings readers closer than ever to one of the world's most notoriously private music icons.